COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Building Community. Growing Leaders.
Our Community Development division strives to increase affordable housing in Cypress Hills, and make Cypress Hills a healthier and more energy efficient community.
East New York BASE (Basement Apartments Safe for Everyone)
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Fresh Food Markets and Healthy Food Access
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Urban Agriculture and Community Gardening
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Affordable Housing Development (investment against displacement)
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Manufacturing Development (development of safe and sustainable spaces)
Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program (BACPP)
Administered by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, in partnership with Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, the Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program (BACPP) provides eligible low- to middle-income homeowners living in one- to three-family homes in East New York and Cypress Hills, Brooklyn (Community District 5) with low-interest, no-interest, or even forgivable, loans to convert their basement or cellar into a safe, legal, and rentable apartment.
The homeowner is also provided with the technical assistance needed to close on a loan and complete the construction project. This pilot program will help to create safe housing for tenants or occupants while providing homeowners an opportunity to earn rental income.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For information on loan terms and the program, see the BACPP term sheet,
La versión en espanol de este formulario está aqui
More information can be found on this website: www.nyc.gov/basementconversion
This program is no longer accepting new applicants. If you would like to join a waiting list to be notified if similar opportunities open up in the future, please email eny-basement@cypresshills.org
Contact:
Ryan Chavez
Program Director, Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program
2685 Pitkin Avenue 11208 Brooklyn, NY
Community Advocates
Our Community Advocates work to improve the quality of life in Cypress Hills by increasing access to healthy food, assisting with SNAP and other benefits applications, and connecting residents to health resources and information. Located at our Chestnut Commons Community Center, 276 Chestnut Street, Brooklyn, NY 11208.
Contact:
Alice Heeger (pronouns: she, her)
Program Director, Public Benefits and Food Access
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
aliceh@cypresshills.org
(929) 583-5046
EnergyFit
EnergyFit is a free program that helps small homeowners seal and weatherize their homes, install energy efficiency measures, upgrade fossil fuel appliances to electric, and make critical repairs — improvements valued between $25,000 and $30,000 — so they can cut down on energy use, breathe cleaner air, and keep their home comfortable all year round.
Contact:
Wilmer Baez
Project Manager of Small Homes Programs
2966 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11208
917-727-8463
EnergyFit Hotline: 718-636-3496
NYC Benefits Program
Consumer prices in NYC grew by 6.1% in 2022. Prices in the city began to accelerate in Spring 2021 and are now the highest rate it’s been in 30 years. Consumer costs have grown most steeply around energy, recreation, transportation and food. Minimum wage in NYC is $15 an hour. That’s approximately $2,400 a month working full time, while the average cost of rent in NYC is approximately $3,000 a month.
If you are looking for ways to make ends meet, feed your family, avoid eviction and utility shut-offs, then the NYC Benefits Program is right for you! Consider applying for public benefits with CHLDC. We are currently assisting with Cash Assistance, One Shot Deals, SNAP and Fair Fares.
We are working with the Department of Social Services as a trusted partner to: increase the number of New Yorkers enrolling in benefits and staying enrolled in public benefits; make access to benefits easier and more efficient; improve benefits-related coordination between City agencies such as the Human Resource Administration (HRA) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs); expand the benefits access capacity of CBOs; leverage underutilized federal, state, and city dollars for poverty alleviation and economic stability; and create a culture of dignity and respect for those that administer and receive government benefits.
Contact:
Crystal Dixon
NYC Benefits Coordinator/Program Supervisor
(929) 379-3273
See below for NYC Benefits Offers
Cash Assistance
Cash Assistance is a benefit offered to individuals and families who reside in NYC. Eligible families may receive up to 60 months of federal funded cash assistance. This benefit includes SNAP and MEDICAID as well. A part of the cash assistance benefit may also include a shelter allowance. A shelter allowance helps pay a set amount of your rent which goes directly to the landlord.
Contact:
Crystal Dixon
NYC Benefits Coordinator/Program Supervisor
(929) 379-3273
Marlene Rivera
NYC Benefits Counselor
929-379-3792
One Shot Deals
A One Shot Deal is a one-time payment from the Human Resources Administration (HRA) to pay back rental and or utility arrears. You may be able to get cash help if you cannot pay your bills because you lost your job, are getting less pay from your job, or had another emergency like an unexpected medical situation. This help is called “Emergency Assistance'' or a “One Shot Deal.”
Emergency assistance can help you if:
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You are experiencing homelessness or will lose your housing if you do not get help.
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Your gas or electricity has been shut off, or you got a notice saying that it will be shut off.
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You lost clothes, personal items, or furniture because of theft, a fire, or a natural disaster.
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You are affected by domestic violence.
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You have other issues that affect the health and safety of you or your family.
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You may be required to pay back some or all the Emergency Assistance. HRA will let you know if and how much to pay back.
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You may apply for Emergency Assistance even if you got it before. If you were asked to pay back a past grant but did not, your eligibility for a new grant may be affected.
Contact:
Crystal Dixon
NYC Benefits Coordinator/Program Supervisor
(929) 379-3273
Marlene Rivera
NYC Benefits Counselor
929-379-3792
SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp Program, provides support to eligible New Yorkers including individuals, families, the elderly and people with disabilities to increase their ability to purchase food. You can purchase food by using an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card where you shop.
If it is hard for you to purchase food with your current household budget, you may be eligible for SNAP. Those who meet eligibility requirements can receive a benefit to purchase nutritious foods such as fruit, vegetables, cereal, milk, eggs, meat, fish, baby formula, juice and bottled water.
Contact:
Crystal Dixon
NYC Benefits Coordinator/Program Supervisor
(929) 379-3273
Marlene Rivera
NYC Benefits Counselor
929-379-3792
Fair Fares
On August 20th, the MTA approved subway and bus fare increments. Fare is now $2.90, and $3.25 for a Single Ride. The Fair Fares Program was created to help low-income New Yorkers manage their transportation costs by reducing fare by half.
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50% discount on subway and bus rides OR Access-A-Ride (including weekly and monthly unlimited).
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Fair Fares does not ask or require information about your immigration status.
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If you are currently receiving Cash Assistance, you qualify for a Fair Fares MetroCard, and if you receive cash benefits, you can use your EBT card to add money to your MetroCard.
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Requirements: Must be between the ages of 18 and 64 years old. Provide Identification, proof of address, proof of income (ex. paystubs, Social Security statement)
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You will receive your Half Fare MetroCard in the mail in 2-3 weeks.
Close to 300,000 New Yorkers have already enrolled! Apply now!
Contact:
Crystal Dixon
NYC Benefits Coordinator/Program Supervisor
(929) 379-3273
Marlene Rivera
NYC Benefits Counselor
929-379-3792
Urban Gardening
As part of a previous program to make Cypress Hills a healthy, sustainable place to live, we develop community gardens on vacant land in the community, turning blighted spaces into green and thriving ones. In partnership with East New York Farms, we work with existing gardens in Cypress Hills and East New York to expand membership and recruit volunteers, update infrastructure, and provide hands-on technical and outreach assistance.
Community Garden Locations:
The People’s Garden — 2358/2362 Pitkin Avenue - Retired
Ashford Street Abundant Garden — 330 Ashford Street
Ashford Learning Garden — 341 Ashford Street
Glenmore Grows Garden — 492-496 Glenmore Avenue
Chestnut Street Garden — 9 Chestnut Street
Farmstand
CHLDC manages a farmstand on Fridays July to November, which is staffed by young people from the community. The markets are affordable and provide access to fresh fruits and vegetables at their prime when they are the tastiest and most nutritious. The markets accept cash, debit, credit, and EBT. We participate in the New York City Health Bucks program. We also host cooking classes and nutrition workshops.
Schedule:
NOW OPEN FROM JULY 22ND- NOV 22ND
Location:
3208 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11208 (Outside of Cypress Hills Senior Center; on the corner of Fulton and Richmond Street)
Contact:
732-860-8589
Manufacturing Development
The provision and availability of a steady, living wage job is the foundation for any community. CHLDC believes that it can leverage the significant stock of manufacturing land in the Cypress Hills /East New York community to help support existing businesses, to animate vacant and underutilized land and, perhaps most importantly, to create the types of jobs that provide a living wage and good benefits. As a result, CHLDC has made it a strategic priority to provide employment and training opportunities for community residents through the development of safe and sustainable industrial spaces.
If you are interested in finding space for your business, or would like more information about our manufacturing development initiatives, contact us.
Contact:
Jessica Bartolini
Division Director, Community Development
Retrofitting
Small home retrofits may include addressing moisture and humidity, leaky roofs and windows, damp basements, pest management, water efficiency and green cleaning. These efforts protect the environment, improve the condition of small homes and help homeowners save on their energy bills.
We are currently not accepting any more applications to retrofit homes – please email healthyhome@cypresshills.org if you would like to be notified when this resumes.
If you’re looking for a particular service, but don’t know the name of the program, head to the “How Can We Help You?” form so a program staff member can contact you directly.